TRP: Anwyll and Raef (Wrath and Lust)
MINK 405 Setting: Anwyll's cave. The divide was growing, and it wasn't his family's fault. Goro's words still flitted through his mind. Anwyll had eaten him, had gone after him. The first dream, the one with the sick man crawling with maggots, was further back, less important. What mattered was Goro, his friend, his family, had been hurt at the hands of someone he was supposed to trust. Someone he was supposed to help, protect, love. By the time Raef made past the entrance of the cave some of the hot anger had run its course, but his heart still thudded and he felt too tense. COYOTE A familiar iron scent wafted from the back of the cave. The large main chamber was empty, but a trail of blood led to one of the side tunnels, as though something had been dragged. MINK Raef's had dropped to his dagger. He hesitated a moment before following the trail. "Anwyll?" he called, glancing around the cave, on edge. Shit. COYOTE The trail led down deep, to where it was cold and dark. Finally, the tunnel opened into a small chamber. Anwyll had dragged the body of a dead lizardman into his cave and carefully torn it apart. The chest cavity had been snapped open. Some organs were gone, as though they'd been eaten, but others-- the less appetizing ones-- had been removed and set aside. Anwyll sat soaked in blood, licking the blood off his fingers. Once he saw Raef, he looked briefly puzzled, then delighted. "I'm sorry, my love," he said, rising to his feet. "Did you say you were coming today? This is an unexpected pleasure. Let me get cleaned up." MINK His chest felt too tight as he walked; if there was some fuckin' monster waiting...He breathed out a soft sigh when he saw it was Anwyll, though covered in blood with a dead lizard-thing next to him. Raef scowled after he sighed; he wasn't supposed to feel better at this. Anwyll had fucked up - and didn't look like it was even on his mind. He quirked an eyebrow. "...No, but why'd I not come after last night?" COYOTE Anwyll paused, looking mildly surprised and confused, then concerned. "Is everything alright?" MINK Raef stared. Did -- no, Anwyll had to know. "No, everything isn't 'alright!" he hissed, nearly throwing his hands up before he could stop himself. They clenched and unclenched instead. "You ate Goro!" COYOTE "Goro?" Anwyll said after a pause. "Oh. Which one is... oh. The small, angry cleric, isn't he? The one Diva made a deal with." He sounded puzzled. "Raef, he hasn't been by. Are you okay?" MINK Raef's brow furrowed. "Yeah, the cleric..." he started, slow, measured, confusion mixing in with the anger still settled low from what Goro had told him. "I'm fuckin' fine. Goro'a fuckin' not and that's not fucking okay! Said you fuckin' ate him last night." His hands tightened again. COYOTE Anwyll looked concerned, and somewhat baffled. He reached out to squeeze Raef's arm, hesitantly, to see if Raef would let him. "I haven't talked to your cleric friend before. You requested I leave him alone. Raef. I'm covered in blood. Why don't we go upstairs? You can explain everything that happened." MINK Raef tensed under the touch, but didn't pull away. Anwyll seemed honest - he always did - and Goro seemed honest. What the fuck was...he scowled as he pulled away to start the way back to the main cave, away from the stench of blood and flesh. "I also told you he wanted to meet you," he answered, tone still cool. COYOTE Anwyll paused a long moment, like he was trying to puzzle something out. "You did," he said slowly. "I'm sorry, I was having a busy night when you spoke to me. A small band of the local lizardfolk have been encroaching on my territory. They normally are quite worshipful of me, but this band in particular was becoming meddlesome, and it took my attention. I forgot to contact your friend. You said he thinks he met with me?" He moved up the tunnel, and he motioned for Raef to follow him. MINK Raef was slow to follow, but he did. He glanced back towards the trail of blood. That...fit...but... ...he was too fuckin' old... "Yeah...said he dreamed you...were sick." He glanced at Anwyll. "...then you are him." He sounded a little more certain - made himself sound more certain. Goro had been fuckin' torn up. That had been real. COYOTE "Ate him," Anwyll said to be sure. "He dreamed I ate him. Like. As a four-course meal? Cut him up and dined on his liver?" He sounded baffled and vaguely amused, but then he caught himself, and said, "I'm not trying to make fun, my darling. I know you're concerned about your friend. This is unusual, is all, I suppose." He reached the top of the tunnel and climbed out, emerging into the main chamber, then continued walking to another tunnel, one that led deeper into his home, into the bathing area. "What else happened in the dream?" Anwyll said. "Can you describe it all to me? Any major, meaningful events?" MINK Raef bristled, but it was short lived: he didn't know he was supposed to fuckin' feel. If Anwyll was telling the truth then someone else ate Goro and that was also fuckin' unacceptable, but then... His jaw tightened as he was led to the bathing area. "Like you swallowed him like a snake," he answered, wrapping a hand around his dagger's hilt to squeeze the grip. "He said you were, I dunno, sick and covered in maggots...and then the dream changed." He shrugged. "...then he talked with you about gettin' Diva's deal. Then you ate him and Pride came in and saved his ass." COYOTE Anwyll halted suddenly. MINK Raef almost ran into him. "What?" COYOTE Anwyll turned, slightly. His expression had become very cold and very angry. He held up his hand like he was thinking, then, once he was done, dropped it to squeeze Raef's arm again. "Let me see if I have this correct," Anwyll said. "Goro tried to contact me. And then he had a strange, terrifying dream in which-- seemingly-- I attacked him against your wishes. Mind you, such an act would not benefit me at all. Such a thing would not harm your friend in real life, only terrify him and turn you all against me. And then... once your friend was helpless and terrified... Pride showed up, and saved him. And now--" Anwyll paused there, as if too angry to speak. "And now," Anwyll said, "because of this extremely strange dream your friend had, that clearly was not me... your friend is grateful that Pride rescued him from me, the terrible snake monster who ate him. Pride. The dream demon. Doesn't this sound a bit suspicious to you?" MINK Raef glanced down at Anwyll's hand before looking back up, frowning. It made sense...and he hated it...it was easier being pissed off at someone he could do something about. And if it was all fuckin' Pride then that was a major fucking problem because Goro was friends with Sam, and maybe Sam didn't know his damn patron was playing tricks "You're not fuckin' bullshitting me, right?" he asked, fingers tightening, purpleand grey smoke tracing over his fingers. COYOTE "No," Anwyll said. "You know I have no reservations about lying to people, my love. But there is a difference between you and other people, and that is the fact that I intend to spend a very long time with you. Forever, perhaps, once you are ready to leave your old life and join me. And though I have no reservations about lying to people..." He cupped Raef's face with his bloody hands. "Raef, I will never lie to you. Especially about such petty, meaningless things as this. It would only serve to drive you away from me, and I could not stand that. You are mine now, and I intend to keep you. And when I say you are mine, I do not mean that like you are some dog I've leashed-- I mean that you have chosen to be mine, and chosen to be with me, because you want to be." He smudged his bloody thumb across Raef's cheek. "And I intend to treat you well. Like a partner, not like some beast I've tamed." He dropped one hand, but kept the other on Raef's face. "I will not bullshit you. You asked me not to harm your friend. So I didn't. I am a simple creature." MINK Raef looks from one golden eye to the other, seeking any of the lie that could be there, but there was only concern that mirrored the tender touches to his face. There was no lie, nothing that would make his heart sink and his stomach clench. He reached up to place a hand on the side of Anwyll's face, stroking the soft, blood dotted skin. "I'm sorry," he apologized, offering a small sort of smile. "He was...just fuckin' terrified..." And...and...if Pride had done this...His jaw tightened. COYOTE "You don't need to apologize," Anwyll said, holding him still. "Anger is a natural reaction. Listen, I know this might sound condescending, but are you certain he didn't just... have a nightmare? Maybe something Pride stepped into and took advantage of, not realizing what it was?" MINK Raef dropped his hand to Anwyll's shoulder. He lightly stroked Anwyll'sneck and nodded. "Yeah...it wasn't a nightmare." COYOTE "Well. If you're certain." Anwyll leaned into the touch, which was pleasant. He still had not gotten over how wonderful it was to touch Raef, skin to skin, in the real world. It had a different feel to it-- more pleasant in the real more, more firm, more electrifying. MINK Raef kept up the soft touches, smiling a little as Anwyll leaned into them. He liked that. Liked that he could touch him like this without the fog of a dream. "Guess we'll find a way to deal with him." He shrugged. He'd have to tell Goro, try to convince him...if he could. Raef traced his fingers up to slide his thumb under Anwyll's chin to draw him down for a soft kiss that tasted of iron. "...thank you for keeping your word." COYOTE "You don't have to thank me for that," Anwyll said, and kissed Raef softly, letting it be a long, lingering satisfying kiss before he parted with a contented sigh. "I wish he'd leave us alone. I admit, I was angry with him before, but I've grown tired of this conflict." He moved, again, towards the baths. The blood was growing sticky on his clothing, which he disliked. "I didn't resent him before he started killing our siblings and our children. He is canny and cruel, and he is prideful, but... he is the embodiment of his name, like we all are, and that's something good. Delightful, even. I simply wish he'd stop twisting the Sins against each other." MINK Raef breathed out, quiet, soft, pleased, as the kiss broke. It lingered still, a warm tingle that he didn't want to chase away. He let Anwyll's neck go to follow him once more, but his hand slipped down to run over Anwyll's arm, his slender wrists, and finally to twine their fingers together. Whenever he touched him, it was better. Everything was better. His heart still leapt, still yearned for the touches that were the same and yet so very different than the dreams. "...yeah... it isn't right..." Family against family...and if Goro was gonna be like him...he paused a little in his steps. If Goro hadn't spoken with Anwyll... "...oh...Goro feels like you...well...not as good." He winked with a flirting sort of smile. "...but still like you...why?" COYOTE "Mm. Maybe you can feel that I love you," Anwyll said, pleased with the flirting. "Shall I go wash the blood off or shall I leave it on?" MINK Raef laughed and playfully pushed Anwyll towards the water. "Get cleaned up. You're a mess." He chuckled. " Mmm...but no...his aura's fucked up, too." COYOTE "It is?" Anwyll was puzzled again. "Fucked up. How so?" He began to strip his clothing off. The bathing area was simply a large pool with a faint undercurrent, the section of a passing river. MINK "It's not there...I thought...maybe it was a little gold...like yours," Raef answered as he undid the straps of his boots and slid them off. His eyes flickered over Anwyll as the demon stripped. He never got tired of that sight. COYOTE "That's puzzling," Anwyll said. "Perhaps I should send him a dream, tonight, so I can take a look." MINK Raef paused in tugging off his shirt. He shook his head. "No. I don't think he'd like that." Goro'd kill him for letting Anwyll neat him again before he could talk to him. He finished removing the rest of his clothing and stepped into the water. He held a hand out to Anwyll. "Come'n. I'll clean you." COYOTE The water was pleasantly hot. Anwyll let Raef clean the blood off his skin, then spent a while grooming Raef in return, filing his nails to sharp points and cleaning out the dirt from underneath them. There was something incredibly pleasing about this basic task. He had never been able to perform it before. MINK Bit by bit creamy white skin was revealed as flakes and clumps of blood were washed away. Raef lost himself in simply cleaning Anwyll, enjoying the skin beneath his fingers and running his fingers through silken locks. Then he was taken care of and he could've fallen asleep under the loving touches. Once they were clean he lounged against Anwyll, tracing a finger over the demon's knee beneath the clear surface of water. "Mmm...I'm glad you showed me where you lived," he murmured. COYOTE It was a long time since someone had touched Anwyll softly or gently, in reverence or affection, rather than harshly or in violence. He had forgotten how pleasant it was. The problem with touching Raef was that-- it felt like being hungry, but indulging himself did not sate him; it only made him want more. He steadied himself, though. He resisted the urge. Raef was slight-- dexterous rather than strong-- and it'd be fairly easy to hold him against the slope of the pool and do whatever he pleased with him, dig his fingers into Raef's skin and claim him, leave Raef with dozens of small bruises and scratches across his body saying mine, mine, mine. Anwyll thought about this, explicitly. He turned to regard Raef and gave him an appreciative look, making it clear-- without words-- what he was thinking, what he wanted to do to Raef, but wasn't doing, not yet. He kissed Raef's hand. "I'm glad I showed you where I lived, too." MINK A deep flush crept across Raef's cheeks at the look turned his way. Oh, he liked (loved) what he saw in it. It was a hungry look, a look that made his skin prick and his heart beat dangerously fast. He smiled at the soft kiss to his hand. "I wish you hadn't waited," he said, turning more to his side. He slipped his hand up to Anwyll's face, stroking his thumb over his cheekbone to leave a line of water that glistened in the light. Raef took a soft breath, ran his hand back to hold the back of Anwyll's head, and he leaned in to place a on his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips. "You're even better in person." One more kiss, a little deeper, a little more hungry. "...if only you were closer..." COYOTE Anwyll liked it when Raef was hungry. And Raef often was; Anwyll suspected that Raef wasn't getting enough at home. He needed this roughness, maybe. Someone to unleash this wrath on, to be a monster with. He slunk down further into the water, then pulled Raef over to him, firmly down against him in his lap. "I'm glad I waited," Anwyll said. He kissed Raef again, letting himself linger and grow more excited, but not giving in; simply enjoying the sensation of Raef on his lap, enjoying the way Raef touched him, like he couldn't get enough. "I've had other warlocks. D'you want to hear about them? I can tell you. They weren't as good as you." MINK "You just like to make me wait," Raef mumbled before being drawn into another kiss, one that took his breath away. Anwyll always took it away, and he wanted him to. He wanted the kisses that were teasing, the hungry touches, the bites, the scratches, all of it. Everything Anwyll offered him and more. He simply wanted Anwyll. Like Az, like Hansel, like Griffin, even like Aesar, he wanted him...needed him. "Mmhmm. Tell me about them." He twined his fingers through Anwyll's hair, shifting his hips to settle as close as he could, loving the feeling of his demon under him and against him. COYOTE "Well," Anywll said, watching Raef play with his hair. "There were a few paltry warlocks I picked up as I decided to grow my power. Most of them died, though, or they completed their quest and no longer needed me, so I let them go. But my favorite... my favorite was a man named Rook." MINK "..mmm...I'm not your favorite?" Raef winked, chuckling softly. "What'd Rook do?" COYOTE "You're my favorite now," Anwyll said. "And you will see why. He was a drow, a dark elf, and he lived deep beneath the surface of the world, in the Underdark. I used to live there, too, in the caves. They called me the Wise Basilisk, the Singer-in-the-Deep, the snake in human skin, and the drow dared not venture into my caves, because they were afraid I would catch them and I would eat them. "But this child, this Rook, heard my singing, and he was fascinated. He was drawn to me. He was a commoner from Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders. Have you heard of this place?" MINK Raef's nose wrinkled. Being underground, alone, avoided... he didn't like the thought of Anwyll like that. He stroked his fingers down Anwyll's neck. "Yeah..." It had been a long time, bit he had heard of drow, their city, and the wicked deity they followed. It was a dark place. COYOTE "It is an interesting place," Anwyll said, lounging contentedly with Raef against him. "Large. Over-populated. Seething like a city of insects. I called the child to me, because he was alone there, and mistreated. The problem was, the tunnels in the Underdark are winding and full of monsters, and they were far too dangerous for a child, so he could not come find me. I, meanwhile, could not venture close to Menzoberranzan, because I would be driven off. And so I could never meet him in person. But I visited him in his dreams, and I guided him. I gave him advice. I gave him some of my power, that he might survive. "And he used it well. He learned how to see through walls. He learned how to wither a man into a corpse just by touching them. He learned how to pass through solid objects without a trace. He learned how to summon demons to his command. He grew older, into an adult, and he became one of the most feared assassins in the city. And I loved him, and he was mine." Anwyll paused there for a very long time, as if the next part was troubling. "We became lovers," Anwyll said, less pleased now. Less content. More sad. "And I looked forward to meeting him in person. I craved it. I wanted to hold him in my arms and feel the weight of him in my lap." MINK A small frown creased Raef's brow. The tale made his heart flutter and each pause, each whisper of sorrow in Anwyll's voice, made his heart ache for him. "What happened?" he whispered, now brushing back Anwyll's hair, a soothing touch. He was there for him, if he wanted it. COYOTE "I told him where I was and guided him to me. And when he reached me, he fell into my arms, and it was the most amazing night of my life. And in the morning, when the glowing mushrooms had phased through their eight-five hour light cycle... he tried to kill me." MINK Raef's touches stopped. "Why?" He didn't understand that; didn't understand trying to kill someone you loved. COYOTE "I don't know," Anwyll said, quietly puzzled. "I was so upset. Enraged. Betrayed. I didn't think, I... just killed him." He lapsed into silence. MINK Raef hooked his arms around Anwyll. "I'm sorry." He squeezed and placed a kiss on Anwyll's forehead. He knew that feeling, having to kill a lover (husband)..it was different, but the hurt never went away. COYOTE "I think someone turned him against me," Anwyll said faintly. He pulled Raef against him so that Raef was resting against his chest, Raef's face in his hair, and petted Raef absently. "The drow in that city feared me. Perhaps the Baenre clan... the matriarchs... perhaps they offered to adopt him into their clan if he killed me for them. But now I'll never know." He kissed Raef's shoulder. "I never let anyone else meet me in person after that," he confessed. "The wound was... too raw. It's been hundreds of years. But-- I'm glad I waited for you, my love. I'm glad I brought you here." MINK Raef leaned against Anwyll, tucking one arm up while his other hung in the water. He traced thin circles along Anwyll's hip and side. "Maybe...it sounds like something they would do," he agreed. The drow, from the stories and books he had read, often did that. He worried his lower lip, turned his head, and kissed Anwyll's neck. "Thank you for trusting me." Raef smiled softly. "I'm glad you let me come..." He nuzzled his face in close. "...I won't hurt you..." COYOTE "I suppose I was willing to risk it again," Anwyll said. He kissed Raef's forehead. "I'm sorry your friend is upset." MINK Raef's eyes fluttered shut at the kiss. "...thank you...I'll talk to him." Tell him about this, about Anwyll, if Goro would listen to him. Then he'd find a way to take care of their problem. He shifted to sit up a little, resting his arms on Anwyll's shoulders. He pressed a kiss to his lips. "...thank you..." For trusting him, for letting him in, for giving him a chance, for everything. COYOTE "We'll figure it out what's going on with your friend," Anwyll said. "Such things are puzzles, but they are often less complicated than they look." Then he sighed contentedly. "How long are you here? Do you plan to stay a few days? Or-- must you go, like last time?" MINK Raef nodded. "We'll figure it out," he agreed. They would. Goro'd be fine. He had to be. He twirled a strand around his fingers. "I have to leave in the morning..." take a teleportation circle back home. There was a picnic the next day. "...but I'll come back." He smiled. "I'll stay longer next time." COYOTE "Good," Anwyll said, satisfied, and kissed Raef again as a reward. MINK End Title: Wrath and Lust Summary: Raef confronts Anwyll about the dream with Goro. Anwyll said he wasn't there, that he was busy and forgot. Raef believed him. When asked about Goro feeling like Anwyll, Anwyll was just as perplexed. Anwyll tells a story about an assassin named Rook. Raef promises to never hurt Anwyll. Category:Text Roleplay